oing to the Grave, where there is no
Device, nor Knowledge, nor Working_[j]: But permit me especially to
observe, how peculiarly the Sentiments we feel on these sad Occasions,
may be improved for the Advantage of our dear Offspring who yet
remain, and quicken us to a proper Care in their religious Education.

We all see that it is a very reasonable Duty, and every Christian
Parent resolves that he will _ere long_ apply himself to it; but I am
afraid, great Advantages are lost by a Delay, which we think we can
easily excuse. Our Hands are full of a Variety of Affairs, and our
Children are yet very young: We are therefore ready to imagine 'tis a
good Husbandry of Time to defer our Attempts for their Instruction to
a more _convenient Season_[k], when they may be able to learn more in
an Hour, than the Labour of Days could now teach them; besides that we
are apprehensive of Danger in over-loading their tender Spirits,
especially when they are perhaps under Indisposition, and need to be
diverted, rather than gravely advised and instructed.

BUT I beseech you, my Friends, let us view the Matter with that
Impartiality, which the Eloquence of Death hath a Tendency to produce.
"That lovely Creature that GOD hath now taken away, tho' its Days were
few, tho' its Faculties were weak, yet might it not have known a great
deal more of Religion than it did, and felt a great deal more of it
too, had I faithfully and prudently done my Part? How did it learn
Language so soon, and in such a Compass and Readiness? Not by
multiplied Rules, nor labour'd Instruction, but by Conversation. And
might it not have learn'd much more of Divine Things by Conversation
too, if they had been allowed a due Share in our Thoughts and our
Discourses; according to the Charge given to the _Israelites_, to
_talk of them going out and coming in, lying down and rising up_[l]?
How soon did it learn Trifles, and retain them, and after its little
way observe and reason upon them, perhaps with a Vivacity that
sometimes surprized me! And had I been as diligent as I ought, who can
tell what Progress it might have made in Divine Knowledge? Who can
tell but, as a Reward to these pious Cares, GOD might have put a Word
into its dying Lips, which I might all my Life have recollected with
Pleasure, and _out of its_ feeble _Mouth might have perfected
Praise_[m]?"

MY Friends, let us humble ourselves deeply before GOD under a Sense of
our past Neglects, and let us learn our